The rift was discovered during a grueling 1,500-mile (2,400 km) trek that, save for a few modern conveniences, hearkens back to the days of early Antarctic exploration. And it came as a total surprise, according to the man who first sensed that something incredible was literally underfoot, hidden by more than a half-mile (1 km) of ice.

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The drop was so sudden and so deep that Bingham drove back and forth across the area two or three more times to check the data, and saw the same pattern...
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